One Last Game -Haymitch Abernathy-

Chapter 54

Haymitch fell asleep with a smile on his face. In his mind, all is right in the world. He feels happy for the first time in weeks. Amelia waited a while before slipping out of his embrace. He never woke up. She changed into dark clothing and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Part of her felt guilty, but she had to do this. Her fingers trailed over the necklace she wore. Taking a deep breath, she took it off. Keeping it felt wrong. What she was doing was incredibly selfish. Haymitch would hate her forever. That was okay with Amelia. Deep down, she knew it was better this way.

She set the necklace down on the bedside table. Amelia grabbed a piece of paper. There were so many things she wanted to say, but none would properly explain the choice she was about to make. So, she didn't explain. She wrote something short but meaningful.

I'm sorry

It's vague, but it's enough. One day he will understand. She grabs the spear tucked away in the corner of the room and holds it in her hand. It feels heavier than before. Taking a deep breath, she heads towards the door.

But she freezes. Amelia glances at Haymitch one last time. Wanting to memorize the details of his face while she still can. They could have been something great if life was different. But there was never a happy ending for them. Not in this life. Amelia hoped that maybe, in her next life, things would be different.

Silently, she pulls open the door and slips into the hall. Her actions are quick and stealthy. Amelia arrives at the end of the corridor. She gets in the elevator and takes it to the bottom level, where the jets are. A few people are taking inventory, but not a single person notices her. It's surprisingly easy, almost comical how bad the security is.

She finds the jet that is flying out with medical supplies. Amelia gets on and sits between two boxes, her legs spread out. There's nobody around, not even Katniss.

Amelia sits on the ground for ten minutes when she feels the jet move. They're prepping for take-off. Katniss isn't there. For a moment, she believes the young girl got caught, but just as the doors start to close, the Mockingjay jumps inside. The doors close behind her, and the jet prepares for take-off. Footsteps approach. Amelia looks up as Katniss passes her by, completely unaware she's there. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Katniss spins around, eyes wide. "Amelia?" She smiles at her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You think you're the only one who wants revenge on Snow?" Katniss swiftly sits beside her. "Plus, you kinda need me. I'm pretty good at keeping you alive."

Katniss recovers from her shock quickly. "How did you-" she puts the pieces together in her mind. "Johanna." The jet takes off, causing them to sway.

"Yep, Johanna."

There's a moment of silence between the two. "You know we're not coming back, right?"

"I know." Amelia knew that. "I'm counting on it." The rest of the ride is silent. Neither have anything more to say. They're both facing certain death, but don't mind. Someone had to make sure President Snow paid for what he did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's an odd feeling when the jet touches down. Amelia feels no regret but relief. This was the right choice. Of course, it wasn't easy. They were going to die, but that was okay with them. Someone had to do this. Why not them? The doors open, but Katniss doesn't get up right away. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Katniss responds. Amelia knows she's scared. They're both scared. This was a war zone. People die in war. They both knew this was most likely a one-way trip. It wasn't easy for the mind to process that.

"Okay." There was no rush. They had time right now, but not forever. Katniss shakes off her nerves and exits the plan. Amelia follows after her, her spear lazily trailing behind her. There are a lot more people than both of them expect.

At first, nobody pays any attention to them. That doesn't last long. Katniss is the Mockingjay. Everyone knows who she is—a few heads turn, and then some more. Soon, everyone is looking at her. Katniss stops, glancing at Amelia. "What are you looking at me for? They're staring at you." It's a lot for Katniss to process. She never wanted people looking to her.

Everyone gives her the three-finger salute, showing their loyalty to her. Amelia watches as Gale approaches them. "Hey," he speaks to Katniss. "I thought you were in the hospital?"

"I was."

"Come on." Gale gestures for both of them to follow. Amelia trails behind the two, her head down as people watch them walk away. Ahead of them is Commander Paylor, who greets them with a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Haymitch woke up, he felt cold. He moved his arm, but there was nothing there. Just an empty bed. He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There was no reason to be concerned. Amelia sometimes woke up before him. He rolled onto his side, but the room was empty—no sign of the girl anywhere.

Haymitch threw his legs over the edge of the bed. That's when he saw it. The ring was placed neatly on the table, along with a note. He read it but didn't understand. Taking a moment to process the words wasn't an option. All he felt was fear. Haymitch jumped out of bed and ran out the door. He didn't care about the stares he received. He needed to get to Plutarch.

He didn't bother with the elevator, opting to take the stairs three floors to the office. When he arrived, the door was already open. "Plutarch," Haymitch heaved. The grey-haired man was alone in the room. "Amelia-"

"I know," he said. "She and Katniss arrived at the front lines twenty minutes ago."

His heart dropped at the news. He didn't understand why Amelia would do that. It wasn't like her. "What?"

"Take a look for yourself." Plutarch tapped the monitor. A video popped up of Amelia and Katniss walking off the hovercraft.

Haymitch couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Put her on the next jet back."

Plutarch sighed. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" He didn't understand.

"President Coin thinks it will look bad-"

"Look bad?" That wasn't what Haymitch cared about. "Amelia was tortured in the Capitol for weeks with Tracker Jacker venom. She is not mentally fit to be in a war zone right now."

"I understand, and I agree," Plutarch responded. "But it's out of my hands. She's staying where she is."